Customer Reviews

March

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you haven't heard it, "March" is very possibly one of the best American pop records ever made. I have listened to it at least once a week since it came out twelve years ago. It's catchy as hell, smart without being fey, and the production and arrangements are really unique.

So what happened? It was released at the wrong time. In 1989, popular music was an unsightly mess. When "Free for All" came out in 1992, it was too little too late. Grunge had arrived, and nobody wanted to hear literate and pensive songwriter.

Still, "March" was on the charts for a time, mostly on the heels of a great video for "No Myth" (a song Paul McCartney would kill to write, I'm sure) and through word-of-mouth. There's not a bad song in the bunch. "No Myth" is upbeat and catchy and somehow larger than life, yet it's got a sarcastic streak a mile wide. Ballads like "Invisible" and "Battle Room" go beyond sad into tragic, and "Evenfall" closes out the album with real style. This was one of the great records of the '90's.

On the strength of "March" alone, you should own this, especially since it and "Free for All," the follow-up have both been out of print forever. "Free for All" isn't quite the album that "March" was, but it's still quite good. The only real dud is "By the Book," and although nothing on here is quite as instantly memorable as the first record, it's quite good. Whereas "March" plumbed some pretty unpleasant depths with a brave and deceptively happy face, "Free for All" just stays down there. It's dark, and at times morbid and depressing, but it's so well done that it never gets boring.

My only gripe is with the packaging. For space considerations, "Now We're Even" (the closing track from Free for All) has been axed. Both albums should have been reissued separately at midprice with their original cover art instead of this. The remaster is okay if barely noticable, but in spots the sound is a little claustrophobic.

Still, both records are classics, and it's nice to see them back in print.

Cramming his first two albums into a single-disc set hardly does a service to Michael Penn or his fans, but the superb quality of Penn's songwriting and rich, distinctive voice more than make up for the less-than-ideal circumstances.

"No Myth" (otherwise known as the "Romeo in black jeans" song) is still a brilliant tune, but "March" is filled with a number of other gems; "Brave New World," "This & That" and "Big House" are a few standouts. The remastering gives the songs a warmer texture and brings out some of the nuances that make Penn's live performances so great.

On this reissue, RCA takes the title "Free-for-All" literally, pillaging almost all of Penn's even better second album for "bonus tracks." (That the main track omitted from this collection was the last one on the album suggests that the folks putting this together didn't even bother to give the thing a listen.) It's still great, but it doesn't do either album justice.

Buy this if you need a quick intro to Penn or need to replace a well-worn copy of "March," but do yourself a favor and make sure to check out some of his other work, particularly his third album "Resigned" or his scores for "Boogie Nights" and "The Anniversary Party."

As most of the reviews will tell you, this is almost a "two-fer" but not quite. "March" is presented in all of it's original glory. For some reason RCA decided to slap most of it's follow-up "Free-For-All" onto the CD with it. Two tracks were left off because of time restrictions. "March" has been out of print for some time, as has "Free-For-All." Just having either on CD is a treat, but this is a real cheat. Way to screw it up, guys.

The music is good, but it's not all there. I'd have bought both if offered the chance. Now I won't buy "Free-For-All" if it comes out. None of this, of course is Michael Penn's fault, so I'll happily buy anything new he puts out...

The original "March" was one of my favorite records. This CD contains all of the music on that release, plus several selections from the follow-up, which I hadn't heard before this. As the liner notes say, Michael Penn found his own sound. He uses a lot of acoustic guitar, and all the guitar work (electric too) has a strong rhythmic intensity. (For a good example, click on the clip of "This and That".) Harmonically, there's no new ground here, but the rock-standard chord progressions take on a new life with Penn's craftsmanship, and the earnestness you hear especially in Penn's voice. The real interest in this album lies in the extremely cryptic lyrics and irresistable, angular melodies. Lyrically, you know Penn is saying ~something~, and you have the feeling it's profound, but when the melody sucks you in and you start singing along, you find yourself saying, "What am I saying?". A great example from "Half Harvest": "So move out of your bed of roses now; I'm putting in a bed of nails; 'cause missiles, guns and rubber hoses can land me in jail". It sounds so cool on the CD, but what the heck does it mean? That's part of the beauty; YOU figure it out. Summary: even if you never listen beyond the end of "Brave New World" (which you should, because "Bedlam Boys" is a great track), you'll get your money's worth out of this one.

I'm sure every single one of us has music that we loved when we bought it as a teen, but fast forward ten-plus years, and now you can't bear to listen to one song, much less the entire album regardless of nostalgia value.

This CD has not been one of "those" disasters for me. It's been in my music rotation regularly since I bought it when it was released almost 2 decades ago. Some music you listen to for nostalgia value- this one I've listen to simply because it's a very sensitively molded piece of musical art.

I'm actually reviewing just March(I first bought this as a cassette tape)- this remastering include the second album, Free for all - a superb follow-up album which is darker, but never boring or stale. Long Way down in Free For All is a brilliant song, with hauntingly sad lyrics and heart wrenching melancholy by the bucketful.

For those who have struggled with relationships (who hasn't), the lyrics are sublime and gracefully restrained reflection of the quiet pain and turbulence. There's an honesty to it that allows the lyrics and music to shine through and not become pretentious or overbearing. No Myth captured public attention, albeit the album being a one-hit wonder chart-wise. Fortunately, this album is full of gems that dazzled critics and won him some very loyal and ardent fans. Half Harvest is a deliciously bitter and malicious brew with an undercurrent of resignation and despair. Invisible is spot-on, tinged with bewilderment and loneliness. Battle Room permeates with quiet desperation and anger. There's not a bad song on March or even Free For All.

The album has timeless appeal. There's nothing trendy about it- it's just a collection of very well-crafted, very personal music that speaks to the heart. This album was the beginning of an uncompromising career for Micheal Penn. He has not been prolific compared to many commercial artists, but his music has quality that more than make up for the quantity. Thank you, Michael, for a masterpiece. I don't consider it a drawback, but some may consider this album too subtle or lyrically to tortured for their taste. There's nothing brash about this one. Even upbeat songs like Evenfall have a glimmer of restraint that allows the music to be uplifting without upsetting the undercurrent of melancholy that flows through both albums. That's about the only negative comment I can make.

If I can compare this album to a movie, I would compare it to Wong-Kar Wai's gorgeous film, In The Mood For Love or Magnolia. Incidentally his wife is the very talented Aimee Mann, who composed most of the songs for Magnolia. If you love his work, check her music out (if you haven't already done so).

I bought this album when it first came out and it has never aged. Music, voice, and lyrics are woven into one of the finest all-around works in rock music. I am just now listening to it and thinking what a priceless gem it is.

This is one of my favorite albums. Michael's words have such incredible imagery, I feel like I am seeing the scenes in his songs through his eyes. Michael's voice is quite dynamic but also soft and soothing. After listening to this album, I always feel good like I just walked out of some wonderful old movie.

Michael Penn's March rocks the neighborhood with his amazing lyrics which include references to literary characters and geographical coordinate locations. His music is entertaining and thought provoking.

Michael Penn, perhaps once better known as Sean Penn's brother, had a smash debut with March in the late eighties. What is remarkable listening once again to this gem of an album is how well it ages. There are other albums from the late eighties that one can listen to that identify themselves as artifacts of their time; not so March. Of course there was "No Myth," the signature tune that got so much airplay that everyone was asking "Who is this guy?" While "No Myth" is certainly a standout it is by no means the only good song on the CD. "Cupid's Got a Brand New Gun," "Long Way Down," and "This and That" are other favorites. There are some songs that are not as strong, but there is really no dud on the album. Check it out and rediscover the awesome talent that is Michael Penn.

"No Myth" hit me at just the right time. I was feeling sorry for myself and along comes this song which fit the mood perfectly. Well, things improved (Thanks for listening!) and I am happy to report that this still holds up really well after years of listening. There are a number of clever examinations of the pain caused by heartbreak. Each song has the right sound setting, the slow burn of "Cupid's got a Brand New Gun," the anxious pacing of "Big House," and the balance of gentle guitars and martial drum machines on "Battle Room" all work so well. As a singer Penn doesn't have a lot of emotional range, but he makes it work for him here, keeping just a touch of emotional distance works on these songs. With a different reading they easily could have been overwhelmingly dramatic; instead they convey the emotional depth found here with clarity. If you're a fan of the singer/songwriter genre, this is definitely one for your collection.